Do you plan on heading out of town on summer vacation? If your answer is ‘yes’, then we have couple tips for you to keep in mind that will help keep you and your family healthy! Whether you’re headed on a quick get-away to the beach or mountains, flying across the country or headed over seas – vacation is a time to relax and enjoy yourself. The only problem is, changing up your usual routine can often lead to poor decisions when it comes to taking care of your body.

You might spend the first few months of the year sticking to your healthy eating habits, walking every day or even every other day, never missing your favorite exercise class, only to go on vacation for week and get completely thrown off. You might be staying up late, waking up early, traveling to multiple destinations, having a few more drinks than usual, and maybe indulging in unhealthy foods more often than usual. Your health can sometimes take a back seat while on vacation.

While you should definitely enjoy yourself, we all know that sometimes our unhealthy vacation habits can affect our routine after we return home. We put together a few simple tips to help you and your family stay healthy, while still making the most out of your summer vacation and returning home feeling good and on track.

Use the stairs. Always taking the stairs is a super easy way to fit a bit of activity into your fun filled days.

Take the scenic route.If your destination is within a mile (or two) why not walk? Exploring a city or vacation spot by foot is a great way to fit in some exercise without it feeling like exercise. Not to mention, exploring somewhere on foot is a much different experience than by car or tour bus. You might even stumble across a great hidden restaurant or photo opportunity.

Get in the water. Some people like to enjoy the beach or even a nice resort pool, but avoid jumping in the water. Swimming is a low-impact exercise so there is low risk of injury and it is a great, fun way to get active on vacation.

Drink tons of water. Not only is water important for staying hydrated, it can also help stop you from over eating. If you want to eat foods that you usually wouldn’t eat, go for it! But if you’re feeling worried you’ll get too off track, drinking extra water is a great way to help.

Eat protein and vegetables. There is definitely nothing wrong with indulging, but make sure to eat protein and vegetables as often as you can. Your body will thank you!

Take time to un-wind. Relaxing and taking time to stress a little less is so important to your overall health.

Enjoy your vacation, take a break from your day-to-day life and stay safe over this holiday weekend!

BONUS TIP: It may be a good idea to be proactive about any aches or back pain you might be experiencing. There is nothing worse than arriving to a beautiful vacation destination and not being able to fully enjoy it because of aches and pains. Before you head off on summer vacation, schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists. We want to help you feel your best so you can fully relax and enjoy your time away!

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